Student organizations stake their claim

President of College Democrats Matthew Washington (left), President of the National Society of Leadership and Success Elijah Acosta (center) and President College Republicans Keith Maples (right). Photo courtesy of Acosta.

A number of prominent UNC Charlotte student organizations met this past Thursday to officially codify a political Expo into order by rule of pen. Through this seal of approval, the signees — represented by four civically-oriented university programs — formally commemorated the landmark accord that is to serve as a platform for public discourse. The Political Expo is slated to convene on Thursday, April 5.

The signing of such a charter is monumental in that it is the first of its kind to take place on Charlotte’s campus.

The objective of the Political Expo is to break bread among bodies of students who, while holding differing views on controversial subjects, are nonetheless open to honest dialogue and healthy conference. The producers of the Expo seek to foster a sense of unity and freely welcome an exchange of diversity of thought. A number of talks and panel-discussions are scheduled for April 5.

“When we first heard the idea, we looked at it more so about 49ers coming together, no matter the political affiliation,” Tracey Allsbrook, student body president, said regarding the event. “In today’s world, there’s so much division that it’s hard just to be in the room with one another. The expo is allowing that to take place and for voices to be heard”.

The event is sanctioned and supported by the Student Government Association.

The four campus organizations represented at the signing ceremony were the College Democrats, College Republicans, Young American’s for Liberty and the Roosevelt Institute. Their delegates included president Matthew Washington, president Keith Maples, president Ben Waldman, and vice president Kiley Murray.

The document is worded in such a way as to promote fellowship and to assign each organization equitable stake and responsibility to carry out the duties of the Expo.

The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), an Honor Society dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders, is responsible for coordinating the joint venture.

The president of NSLS and chief architect of the Expo’s birth, Elijah Acosta, helped broker the facilitation of the aforementioned organizations and presided over the singing of the charter.

“Though we are a small collection of college students coming into partnership with one another, the message of what we have done this evening is far greater than could be imagined,” he said. “That despite our differences and disagreements, we can come together, we can work together, we can bridge the factional gap.”

It’s worth mentioning that this form of multi-partisan communion can serve as a noble stepping stone on which future compromises emanate. To a greater extent, Vi Lyles, Charlotte’s Democratic mayor, is currently in the bidding process for the city to host the Republican National Convention in 2020.

The defining moment of the evening was when the presidents of the College Democrats and College Republicans shook hands to symbolically seal the agreement, ushering in a newfound alliance and willingness for prospective collaboration.

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